Notebook: Dixon joins Cougars staff

Former Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Josh Dixon is back in the Canadian Hockey League.

The Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars announced Friday that Dixon has joined the team's staff as an associate coach. 

“Josh has the criteria we were looking for in our search. He has head coaching experience and checks off a lot of boxes,” said Cougars general manager and head coach Mark Lamb in a news release. “We have worked together in the past and I know he’ll be a great fit for our organization.”

Dixon has WHL experience. He was an assistant coach with the Regina Pats for three seasons before joining Lamb's Swift Current Broncos, where he acted as an associate coach, for the 2014-15 season.

“It’s an honour to join the Prince George Cougars and have the opportunity to work with Mark again,” said Dixon. “I look forward to working with a young, talented team that’s on the rise and helping them compete for a championship.”

The Cougars have not made a playoff appearance since 2017 and have not advanced past the first round since 2007.

Dixon was head coach of the Sea Dogs for two-and-a-half seasons, posting a record of 39-108-12-6 in 165 regular season games. He was fired on Dec. 2, 2019.

PEI CONNECTIONS

Just like Gerard Gallant, Gordie Dwyer started his coaching career with the MHL's Summerside Western Capitals.

“I talked to Turk quite a bit and his experience coaching here with how he and Mike (Kelly) did things,” Dwyer told The Guardian this past week. “Turk had some good things to say about it.”

Dwyer spent two seasons with the Capitals as head coach and director of player personnel, winning an MHL title in 2011. He went on to coach the PEI Rocket the following season.

DUFOUR AT WJC CAMP

Canada’s national junior team summer development camp wrapped up last week. In attendance was Sea Dogs forward William Dufour.

"Dufour’s hard wrister and presence over the puck were noticeable in spurts, but they also came with his sluggish stride and propensity to bobble possession," wrote Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. "I don’t think he’s quite at this level."

Dufour played on a line with Medicine Hat's Cole Sillinger and Shawinigan's Mavrik Bourque in the first Red vs White game of camp. In the second game, University of Michigan's Kent Johnson replaced Bourque.

The final game involved some crossover between the U20 and U18 Team Canada camps. Dufour played with Cedrick Guindon of the Owen Sound Attack and Mason McTavish of the Peterborough Petes.

MEMORIAL CUP BID

A couple weeks old now, but here's Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie discussing the team's Memorial Cup with Rogers TV.

MHL TRADE

Former Sea Dogs forward Aiden MacIntosh has been traded to the OJHL's Trenton Golden Hawks.

We've made a trade Thursday with the @OJHLGoldenHawks we trade Aiden MacIntosh to Trenton of the OJHL for 20-year-old, forward, Ryan Glazer and future consideration. #GoRamsGo pic.twitter.com/qLI2Inf4O9

— Amherst JrA Ramblers (@AmherstRamblers) July 23, 2021

MacIntosh, a former member of the St. Stephen Aces (RIP), spent last season with the MHL's Amherst Ramblers where he recorded 11goals and 19 assists in 24 games.

The 20-year-old spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, recording 11 goals and 12 assists in 93 QMJHL games.

OTHER THINGS

• The Halifax Mooseheads are offering some very nice benefits to their season ticket holders this season, as this video explains. This also seems to confirm that QMJHL games will be streamed on CHL TV this season.
• Season ticket sales have always been viewed as vitally important at the junior hockey level. The Athletic noted this week that some NHL team executives are concerned about full-season package sales, adding that, due to the pandemic, many fans are opting for smaller options. "People missed live events, but I also think people started to notice they didn’t miss going to 41 live events in a season,” said one executive.
• The Sea Dogs play their first two pre-season games on Aug. 19-20. The Charlottetown Islanders won't begin rookie camp until Aug. 21, the team announced this week. Charlottetown's first pre-season contest will be against Saint John on Aug. 24 at Eastlink Centre.
• The Acadie-Bathurst Titan have released their training camp roster. One notable name on the list is goaltender Charlie Zolin, a Connecticut native who was selected first overall in the 2020 QMJHL American Draft.
• The Arizona Coyotes have signed former Sea Dog Bokondji Imama to a one-year, two-way contract. The Coyotes recently acquired Imama from the Los Angeles Kings.